Automatic catch for inclined railways



R. L. P. HENNE. AUTOMATIG'GATGH FOR INGLINBD RAILWAYS.

(No Model.)

PatentedApr. 8

I'IG.1.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH L. P. I'IENNE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

AUTOMATIC CATCH FOR INCLINED RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,226, dated April 8,1890.

Application filed December 23, 1889- Serial No. 334,618. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it kn own that I, RUDOLPH L. P. I'IENNE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticCatches for Inclined Railways; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference beIO ing had to the annexed drawings, which form part of thisspecification. I

The object of my invention is to provide the cradle, truck, or car of aninclined railway with a safety catch or stop that will be auto- :5matically brought into service the instant the car acquires a dangerousvelocity by the breaking of the hoisting cable or chain, or when thecable pulls away from its fastenings to said car. To accomplish thisresult I provide the car, cradle, or truck. with one or more pairs ofeccentrics or cams, which are retained in their normal or inoperativeposition by suitable stops controlled by a governor, the latter beingdriven by geared connections with a wheel or axle of the car. As soon,however, as the cable breaks, or when from any other cause the carcommences to run back at an unusual speed, the governor liberates saidstops and permits said eccentrics to be swung around and clamp against abeam or rail placed centrally between the tracks.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of aninclined-railway cradle provided with my automatic safety-catches,whichcatches are shown in their normal or inoperative positions. Fig. 2 is asectionized plan -of said cradle and its attachments, the stops beingseen in the same position as in the precedingillustration. Fig. 3 is anenlarged plan 0 of a portion of the safety appliances, the eccentriccatches being engaged with the central beam or rail. Fig. a is amodification of my invention.

A represents the main timbers, and 13B the tracks or rails, of aninclined railway for freight or passenger service, which rails aretraversed by the rear wheels C C and front wheels D D of a car, cradle,or truck E, said wheels being secured to axles 0 cl, that support saidcradle, and the rear axle 0 being provided with a bevel-wheel F, gearingwith or free ends of these levers K K carry pins or other suitable stopsL L, which must be normally depressed either by a spring M, as seen inFig. 1, or by loading said levers with weights on m, as represented inFig. 2.

N N are connecting-rods running longitudinally of the cradle, and havingtheir rear ends in contact with the stops L L against which they arepressed by a suitable spring, a pulling-spring O-bei'ng seen in Fig. 1and a pushing-spring o in Fig. 2. n are guides for the rear ends of saidrods, and n are handles or levers at the front ends of the same,whi'chrods are arranged to operate simultaneously one or more pairs of cams oreccentrics P P, the latter being pivoted at p p to stout beams or bars RR, secured longitudinally of the cradle and quite near a central beam orrail S. This beam is secured to the same ties or timbers that supportthe rails B B.

The operation of this automatic safety-catch is as follows: When all theparts are in their respective normal positions, the spring M or theequivalent weights m m force down the free ends of levers K K and thuscause the 8 5 stops L L to project below the main frame of the cradle,as seen in Fig. 1. In this posi tion the stops prevent any rearwardshifting of the connecting-rods N N, which is the natural action of saidrods on account of the way the springs O or 0 are applied to them.Furthermore, in this position of the stops and rods the eccentrics P Pare so turned as to be clear of the center rail S, thereby leaving thecar at liberty to ascend and descend the incline in the usual manner,during which time the governor H simply revolves at a slow velocitywithout actuating the catch or safety mechanism; but when the truckacquires a dangerous speed, either by the breaking of the Winding-cableor otherwise, the centrifugal velocity of the governor elevates itssleeve 71, thereby rocking the shaft I in its bearings and lifting thefront or free ends of levers K K so far as to pull the stops L L abovethe level of the connecting-rods N N. Consequently these rods fly backinstantly, as indicated by the horizontal arrows in Fig. 2, which actcauses all the eccentrics P P to turn simultaneously in the direction ofthe curved arrows in said illustration and grip against or bite into thecentral rail or beam S. (See Fig. 3.) Owing to this secure hold of theeccentrics against the stout central beam the truck is arrested beforeit has slid down more than a few inches, and after said catches have gotan efitective grip any attempt to run the truck farther back will simplybind it more innnovably to said beam. This gripping action of theeccentrics may be increased by the attendant pulling back on the handlesit, which are also useful for drawing the rods N N forward preparatoryto resetting the mechanism.

In the modification seen in Fig. i the front end of the connecting-rod Nis coupled to a bell-crank T, weighted at t, to force said rodrearwardly, said weight being provided with a pull U that performs theduties of handle a.

In an inferior modification of my invention a single pair of cams l Pmay be employed; but I prefer to use a series of such devices in orderthat a secure hold may be obtained by some of them in case others areunable to get a good grip on account of the central beam being greasy orworn thin in places. Finally, the hoisting-cable has been omitted fromthe drawings, for the purpose of avoiding confusion; but it can beattached to the truck in any suitable manner, one cable being all thatis necessary when my safety appliances are used.

I claim as my invention 1. An inclined-railway truck,cradle, or car,provided with a pair of eccentrics, and a stop mechanism operated by agovernor in such a manner as to cause said eccentrics to grasp an extrarail or beam of the structure when the vehicle acquires an unusualspeed,said extra rail or beam being secured between the main rails,substantially as herein described.

2. An inclined-railway truck, cradle, or car, provided with a series ofeccentrics arranged in pairs and united by connecting-rods, a stopmechanism that locks said bars, and a governor that operates saidmechanism and causes said eccentrics to grasp an extra rail or beam ofthe structure when the vehicle acquires an unusual speed, said extrarail or beam being secured between the main rails, substantially asherein described.

3. An inclined-railway truck, provided with a pair of lifting-levers KK, stops L L, eonneeting'rods N N, and a series of eccentrics P Parranged in pairs, said lifting-levers being elevated by a governorattachment when the truck acquires an unusual speed, whereby saideccentrics are caused to grasp an extra beam or rail secured between themain rails of the structure, all as herein described.

In testimony whereof I ai'fix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

RUDOLPH L. P. l-ll h NE.

Witnesses:

JAMES II. LAYMAN, FRANCIS M. BIDDLE.

